AMC Theatre in Promenade Shops to Reopen With 15-Cent Movies

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The 16 screens at the AMC Theatres multiplex in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley have been dark since March, when the coronavirus pandemic forced the shutdown of all movie theaters across the U.S. AMC is preparing to reopen its nearly 600 theaters in phases, with the first round of reopenings to occur in tandem with a promotion Aug. 20. (FILE PHOTO)

“There’s no crying in baseball,” Tom Hanks famously told the Rockford Peaches in the 1992 film A League of Their Own. “There’s no complaining about high-priced movie tickets” may not have the same catchy zip as Jimmy Dugan’s impassioned exhortation to his team, but it’s likely to be the case soon, at least for a day, thanks to AMC Theatres.

The company that operates hundreds of multiplex movie theaters across the country is preparing to celebrate their grand reopening following a nearly six-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic with an unusual–and very affordable–one-day promotion.

In recognition of its 100th anniversary, AMC announced this week that all AMC U.S. theatre locations that reopen Aug. 20 will offer all available seats for all movies that day only for the 1920 admission price of 15 cents each. Hot diggity dog!

The only catch is that in order to meet social distancing requirements, overall seating capacity in theaters will be reduced to 30 percent or less of their regular capacity, with every other row blocked off and guests required to leave an empty seat between themselves and the members of other parties.

Among the more than 100 theaters that will reopen with the special 15-cent promotion Aug. 20 is AMC’s Center Valley 16 in the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.

“Approximately 300 additional AMC locations around the country are expected to open during the following two weeks leading to the release of Disney’s The New Mutants on Aug. 28 and Warner Bros.’ Tenet on Sept. 3,” an AMC news release said.

To help limit the spread of the coronavirus, in addition to limiting seating capacity in theaters AMC is implementing a number of health and safety protocols, it announced.

The new requirements–part of a plan called AMC Safe & Clean–will include:

The introduction of extra time between showtimes to allow for a full, thorough cleaning of theaters.
Nightly disinfecting utilizing electrostatic sprayers.
The use of high-tech HEPA vacuums and upgraded air filtration efforts including MERV 13 filters wherever possible.
New guest and associate safety protocols that include mandatory mask-wearing by all guests and associates.
Hand sanitizing stations throughout theaters.
Providing disinfectant wipes to guests.

Guests will be able to remove their masks while eating or drinking inside the theaters.

The entire AMC Safe & Clean plan can be found online at AMCTheatres.com.

According to the news release, the opening of some theaters Aug. 20 is part of a phased reopening by AMC in the United States, where it is the largest movie theater chain.

AMC said it expects to have approximately two thirds of its more than 600 U.S. theater locations open by Sept. 3, with the remainder to open “only after (they are) authorized to do so by state and local officials.”

The first AMC theater featured a single screen and was opened by the Dubinsky brothers at 12th Street and Grand Boulevard in Kansas City, Mo., in 1920.

“We are thrilled to once again open our doors to American moviegoers who are looking for an opportunity to get out of their houses and apartments and escape into the magic of the movies,” AMC CEO Adam Aron said in the news release about the reopening. “As our guests return on our first day of resumed operations on Aug. 20, we invite them to join us in celebrating a return to the movies and in celebrating 100 years of AMC making smiles.”

Some upcoming movie release dates per AMC Theatres are as follows:

Friday, Aug. 21